My child has been a victim of a serious safety violation that occurred in our district, which has yet to be properly addressed. As a parent and former educator, I've seen firsthand how unsafe our school buildings are. I've witnessed civilians posing as enrolled students entering our buildings and students stashing weapons and pulling fire alarms. Just recently, Wilbur Cross High School experienced a lockdown due to a safety threat. With the immense lack of security or effective safety measures, it is clear that the current priorities are misplaced.

New Haven Public Schools have been in the news for over 100 staff and teacher vacancies, including critical roles such as special education teachers and security personnel. Despite calls for increased funding to address these pressing issues, the district has chosen to allocate funds to Yondr pouches instead. These are intended to reduce distractions in the classroom; however, they are being implemented at the expense of student safety.

More alarming is the creation of a new administrative leadership position with a salary exceeding $176,000. At a time when our resources should focus on ensuring the safety and educational quality for our children, it seems frivolous and negligent to direct attention and funds to non-essential initiatives like Yondr pouches and superfluous positions. Our school's academic scores continue to decline at alarming rates; and our Special Education population is lacking the implementation of services due to the staff shortages. The district also neglects to invest in the development of our internal learning community by prioritizing external hires and lacking transparency in its practices and policies.

We must also acknowledge that students are resourceful and have already found ways to circumvent the phone pouch system. While the intent of keeping phones out of classrooms is being partially met, the approach may inadvertently encourage dishonesty and promote selective defiance.

We need to demand that New Haven Public Schools prioritize what truly matters: the safety and well-being of our children and the quality of their education. We need more teachers, more security personnel, and effective safety measures—not pouches that fail to address the core issues.

Sign this petition to urge the New Haven Public Schools district to redirect their focus and funding towards essential resources that will genuinely enhance our children's safety and education.